HYDERABAD: In a development that may not go down well with the top brass of the TRS, Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Tuesday expressed her displeasure over the way the State government is handling the Covid-19 situation. During a live debate on a news channel, she said: “It is the basic right of citizens to get tested for Covid-19. But, they are being denied this right in the State. This is the problem the people are facing now”. Soundararajan said the government began to take action after she persuaded it to do so for three months. “I believe the government is now in corrective mode,” she said, recalling writing six to seven letters to it on Covid-19 management.
The Governor said Telangana, which is a pharmaceutical and medical hub, should have handled the pandemic situation much better. “As a professional doctor, I cautioned the government to be very proactive. But, the State has underestimated the seriousness of the situation. Now, I believe they are on the right track,” she said. “I wrote the letters for the sake of the people. My suggestions were contributory and not contradictory to the government’s work. But they were not taken in the right spirit,” she added.
The Governor said if infrastructure is improved and testing increased, the government would have prevented the spread of Covid-19. Even though the patients were suffering, the government took up the issue very late, she said. Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that 80 per cent of the country’s Covid cases are reported in 10 States, the Governor said TS is a major contributor.
‘Some leaders not wearing masks properly’
The Governor suggested that the government should test more to eradicate Covid-19 in Telangana. She noted that even some politicians are not wearing masks, and even if they do, their noses and mouths are not covered. “Wearing a mask completely, by covering the nose and mouth, will help reduce the spread of the novel Coronavirus. Several countries proved this,” the Governor said and objected to some politicians wearing masks on their necks. The Governor’s comments assume significance as the daily tests in Telangana remain just over 20,000, even after the State Cabinet decided to increase it to 40,000 per day. Here are some of the suggestions that Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan made with regard to the TS govt’s way of handling the situation.
Start mobile testing
District-wise testing should take place
No one should be denied test
Improve infra in hospitals